About Darya Klishina

Darya Klishina – Epitome of Grace, Skills and Strength

Darya Klishina, female long jumper from Russia, has come a long way since she started her career in athletics at the age of thirteen, in 2004. The 20 year old has worked her way in this field with her unique combination of strength, grit and grace. Having spent most of her childhood in Tver, a small town in Russia, Klishina moved to Moscow to pursue athletics. This shift has allowed her to commit fully to her career on the tracks.

Klishina’s Journey from Being a Sprinter to a Long Jumper

Klishina started on the tracks as an excellent sprinter. One of the physical factors that contributed a great deal to her success on the track is her long limbs. This has also helped her make her mark as a teen, on the volleyball scene – one that she entered when she was just eight. At thirteen, however, she directed her attention towards a career as a long jumper. Klishina’s decision to get into this field was partly inspired by her father, an athlete himself. He believed that Klishina would be able to contribute a great deal to individual sports, and that it would go a long way in her making a career in athletics.

She was then chosen to train with long jump coach Olga Shemigon when Klishina was 13. Ever since then, there has been no looking back for this young athlete. Her physical strengths and training have contributed to the accolades she has won at international events like World Junior Championship and World Youth Championship (held in Ostrava in 2007). Klishina has picked a title at both events. She has also bagged two medals for her remarkable accomplishments in the events at the Diamond League. Klishina is currently placed third on the World Ranking list for Women’s Long Jump. She has won gold in the European Junior Championship for long jump twice. The first was at the 2009 Novi Sad European Junior Championship, and the second was at the 2011 Paris European Indoor Championships.

In June 2010, Klishina landed the longest outdoor jump in her career – an impressive 7.03 meters. This was at a national event – Znamensky Brothers event – that took place in Zhukovsky, Russia. The same year, she made her best indoor jump of 6.87 meters at Moscow. Her achievements have inspired a lot of trust in her fans, who believe that Klishina will make new records in 2011. One of Klishina’s top goals for this year is to stay injury-free. In this form, she intends to take the top spot in 2012. With the London Olympics underway, Klishina aims to take home a medal from it this year and next. She also intends to qualify for several crucial athletics events this year.

Traits that Have Helped Klishina Become a Star Athlete

According to her, there are a few key traits that have helped her achieve the success she has, as a long jumper. One of this is her long legs that have allowed the athlete to cover great lengths both in field and track events. Other than this, she believes that as an athlete, she is highly self-reliant, an aspect that she prides herself on being able to do. Klishina states that irrespective of whether she is met with success or failure, she seeks both affirmation and answers from within. Strong character and the capacity to do work hard are two other traits that have helped Klishina find success in the few years that she has been in athletics. She also relies on her ability to communicate effectively with her coach and to imbibe her comments quickly, to make her way through the challenges on the field.

Parental Support Allowed Klishina to Excel

One of Klishina’s greatest strengths has been her parents, who, as athletes, have been able to understand and support the dedication and sacrifices that she has been required to make for being in the field. Her mother, who was in athletics primarily for the fitness aspect, and her father, who played amateur volleyball and high jump, enrolled her in different extra curricular classes like choreography.

A demonstration of their support was when a coach noticed Klishina’s strengths at a city relay, and recommended athletics as a career option, and she took it up. The only aspect that her parents have highlighted for her is the fact that athletics is an individual sport while volleyball is a team sport. Keeping this in mind, she has made the choice to focus on field and track athletics, rather than juggle volleyball and athletics, as she realized that it was impossible to excel in both.

Klishina’s Fitness and Training Regime

A typical day that involves training, starts with breakfast, as Klishina recognizes that it is an important meal in her day. She then heads off to her training session, which begins with a round of warm-ups. The activities that make up this session are: special running routines and stretching. This is followed by the training for track events and long jump. The training is primarily planned on the basis of which day of the week it is. Another key factor that is taken into consideration when planning her training is her fitness condition. Her training generally ends with activities that allow her body to cool down. This involves a few stretching and running exercises.

Klishina also attends pre-season training camps quite frequently. Here, she trains with her friends and team mates. The camp usually has two sessions of training activities in a day. Towards the end of the season, the team is required to train just once a day. At this point, they are given one break in a week.

What Klishina Enjoys Doing when She is Not Training

The young star athlete believes that she is not quite different from other girls of her age when it comes to recreational activities. There are a few activities she enjoys indulging in the most. Spending her free time in cafes, with her friends is one of them. She occasionally visits the cinema and goes bowling too. Klishina also enjoys traveling around the globe. Some of her trips have been vacations, while most have been part of her work.